18 juin 2014

My Feelings, Exactly

Hello Lovelies,

Maybe I will go back to this blog, or merge it with my new one, I'm still thinking about how to do things right. Anyway, I've been browsing a lot of tumblr blogs lately and found this em that expresses my feelings with exactitute:

21 avril 2013

Spring is finally here: a wishlist for me and my new rental. (Part I : a new perfume for me).

Hello Lovelies,

So yes, i recently mentioned that i had moved to a (slightly) bigger and (much) better place. Nown wnat do I do next? How do i decorate the place so it feel like home?

I have started a pinterest board for random stuff i want/need for me and my new rental. I also have a secret board for my Sppring 2013 Wishlist. Finally, i have a board dedicated to finding the perfect pendant/chandelier for my high-ceilings living-room. One of my fave (and affordable) option is this chandelier by Habitat:

This move has been quite traumatic for me to tell you the truth. I had stayed 9 years in my previous place and accumulated way too much useless stuff. It was really awful to sort it all out and throw away so much. And i feel i still have too much. For instance, my living-room, 6 months after my move, is still filled with unopened boxes. Yay, it's that bad. So now i am trying real hard to keep Simplicity in mind and stick to the essentials (without sacrificing beauty). This book helps me a lot.

Spring is finally here, and I am slowly starting to feel better about my new place. It is not pêrfect, but i begin to actually like it. Spring is also the time of year when I itch to get a new, lighter perfume for myself. I am a huge fan of the Fragrantica site and its great community. Being a part of it has helped me a lot in reducing down choices.

In an ideal world, I would go for a bottle of Guerlain's "Après l'ondée". But all I could find online was a huge bottle (too big for me, as i like to switch perfumes often). Plus the bottle's deign put me off. It looks like this:

I'd much rather get a smaller bottle, with the original 1906 design which looks like this:

Unfortunately, it can only be purchased at guerlain's boutique in Paris. So what is a woman to do?

I've considered many options, and rethought my relationship with the Jo Malone fragrances. I have ordered last spring a bottle of French Lime Blossom. It was a blind buy, based on a few info and tips, and it was a huge disappointement for me. It's not a bad perfume, it's just that's it doesn't smell like what I thought would be some sort of citrus blossom. It smell of linden blossom. And I sneeze any time i spray it, so I may be allergic to it, on top of that.

Fortunately, the Jo Malone brand is very generous with samples, and I got quite a lot of them with my French Lime Blossom pruchase. Among the samples I think I found the "one" for me: Orange Blossom cologne. Yay! great summer/spring fragrance, beautiful geometric bottle, affordable price... What's not to love?

Now about my rental... First, I want to tackle the living-room. (to be continued).

Adding The Finshing Touches To Get the Perfect Place: How to create a home.

Hello Lovelies,

Muriel Cibot's cute little nook she uses as a home office. Notice the egg-shaped desk lamp, the lovely dark grey desk and the custom-made woof shelving behind desk. That chair is good-looking, but probably not very comfortable, though...

Two days ago, I gave you a small glimpse at Muriel Cibot's place in Paris. She is a French interior decorator. The photo I posted of her living-room was OK-ish but might seem bland. A bit minimal and yes, bare. something was missing. I'd say, the finisqhing touches, such as a rug under the sofa, some extra sitting beside said narrow sofa, artwork that is actually hung on the walls, extra shelves for storage, and draperies around the windows.

The good news is; Muriel Cibot recently did just all of that! In the latest issue of "Le journal de la maison", a French decor mag, we can see (and enjoy) how the finishing touches, especially the use of textiles, can add warmth and depth to a place than can now be rightfully called "home".

Last but not least, her living-room displays one my fave color scheme, the contrast between bright yellow and soft grey.

And now it is time that I scan at least one page from "Le journal de la maison" for you to see.... Stay tuned!

I apologize foe the very red photos below (sorry, bad lighting) - will rescan those asap:

This is a view of Muriel's living-room. Notice the art finally hung on the wall? The pillow and throw on sofa, adding softness? The great rug and knitted pouf? Sheer draperies on windows and two modern shelves stacked one on top of the other. Swon!

Another view of living room, with sliding door made of reclaimed wood. Also, the lampshade and the window treatment echo eaxh other with a silimar pattern of bare branches:

One thing, though, I don't like her bedroom, either in the 2011 or 2013 version. Something's missing. And the Jieldé vintage lamps on either side of the bed are too big for the space and are visually aggressive. I do love Jieldé lamps in other settings, though.

Her bathroom is not photographed in the 2013 version. In the 2011, we see very little of it. It looks, white, very clean, inviting, OK-ish, but not so special.

Maybe Muriel should do something about that! ;-)

Final note: Muriel has a lovely open kitchen. Will add a photo soon, with a better quality i promise.

19 avril 2013

Inspiration: The Perfect Place For Me.

"I just found out yesterday about a gorgeous home that is exactly the same size as my new apartment (YES! I have moved). It is real perfection. IMHO. I promise I will post pictures and info about it in my next blog post."

I gotta run now, but here is a little preview:

This is Muriel Cibot's living-room, as of 2011 - as published here, among other photos of her place.

Check out her custom-made shelving for books and decor accessories! But I promise it gets better. Her small loft in Paris has been updated recently so the photos I plan to post here are really drool-worthy!

I asked my mom to take care of my cat for a few days while i was away and unfortunately, she didn't do it right and my beloved cat, Philo, disappeared in April 2012. After over six months of grieving her loss, I adopted a stray cat named Kachimo. When I take more photos of my new couch, you will see more of that adorable creature... Here she is:

Spring Colours Week - my 2013 photos

Hello Lovelies!

Spring Colours Week 2010: Purple Day. Beautymist (c) 2010.

Back in 2010, I participated in the Flickr group called " Spring Colours Week". Since spring has been so slow in arriving this year, I think i can take my photos now instead of the previously scheduled program (March 8 - March 12). So starting this Monday April 22 2013, I will post photographs of the following colours in nature and/or my immediate surroundings:

The Beauty of the Letterpress

Hello lovelies!

the Beauty of the Letterpress logo.

After reading this blog post over at "how about orange" (a fave blog of mine), I decided it was really worth donating a little dough in order to help the Hamilton Type Museum. You can donate as little as 5 dollars and get a nice letterpress postcard for your contribution to the project. 100% of your contribution goes to help the Hamilton Type Museum. more details here and on the "Beauty of the Letterpress" contribution page.

Hello Design Enthusiasts!

Hello Lovelies!

I know, I know, it's been like forever. I've been busy with my creative life at my new blog "TeaButterfly". But... I still love design, and beauty, and architecture and stunning home decor. So here goes:

I just found out yesterday about a gorgeous home that is exactly the same size as my aprtment. It is real perfection. IMHO. I promise I will post pictures and info about it in my next blog post. But for now, I need to rant a bit, I mean I want to warn you guys about a really UNcool site that calls himself "The Cool Republic". sigh.

So I just stumbled upon this site called "The Cool Republic" and I just felt I had to share my feelings here. This French site is about trends in contemporary design, and has an online magazine describing such trends and presenting some awesome cool stuff.

So far, so good. It's even pretty cool, I think. But The Cool Republic" is also an online shop, and I must say that I really really don't like their aggressive marketing schemes here. First of all, I spotted three items that I really wanted to buy: some stationery (I'm a stationery junkie, as you may know), some organic cosmetics that look great (great natural ingredients, cool minimalistic packaging) and finally a very clever shelving system i could really use for the tons of books I own.

But, but, but...

A quick check on the intra-supergalactic-web shows that despite the claims of "The Cool Republic" site, these items are sold either on the manufacturers' online shop or on their Etsy shop, and at a better price! Gasp.

I dislike the whole marketing system here at "The Cool Republic". First, right on their homepage, they claim their products are unique and not available elsewhere. WRONG. Then they sell their stuff through an auction program, claiming "this item is only for sale for a short amount of time", basically saying to the customer to hurry, or the wanted item will be sold out. That is putting unnecessary pressure on the customers' shoulders and is so WRONG. The three items I checked are available and in stock for a long time, and as I said, on a lower price, at the original manufacturers' or designers' online shops.

Finally, "The Cool Republic" encourages their customers to get some meagre discounts ( 1€ or 5€, really?) by pressuring them to tell their friends about "The Cool Republic". I call this spamming. Yuck.

So thanks you "The Cool Republic" for letting me know about very cool products, but I think I will buy them elsewhere, thankyouverymuch.

12 avril 2010

This is Not Goodbye...

As of today, I write and post to three blogs (one personal blog in French, two other blogs in English), among other creative and professional activities... And I've began to think that three is well... too much for me (and probably for you, too).

So this is not goodbye, as I intend to blog here from time to time, but instead this is to tell you that from now on I'm concentrating on a new project, namely my art sold through an etsy store, and that this is going to be my main blog from now on!

06 avril 2010

It's Springtime! Time for a Makeover!

You'll find exactly 101 ideas for Spring makeover of your place right here.

As to me, I tackled several rooms. First, I have decluttered! Then...

The living-room:

I have added some "Spring flair" to my living-room, by replacing rich brown velvet pillows by a light off-white cotton and one accent linen one. To add some pizzazz, I gathered all my chartreuse accessories just by the now off-white sofa. Mine is more of a settee, really. Cute. ;-) The color palette I chose is very Belgian: soft, off-white colors and neutrals, low-key, sanded and whitened oak. See this architect portfolio to see what I mean by "Belgian".

The Kitchen:...is an on-going project. The walls are a crisp white, accessories are a warm yellow, with hints of soft grey. Appliances are stainless steel or white enamel. I've just cleaned a lot and bought a dragonfly grey trinket this week.

The Entry/Hallway:

It's a crisp white space with soft grey trimming. And an IKEA paper lamp. I've decided to put there a real BIG abstract art I did in the 90's. Drama!...and I have finally put up a nice landing strip. My camera is under repairs right now, so this is just a not-so-nice phone cam snap, but it's really nice and welcoming in person.